A Shadow on the Horizon
by Ariadne915
Summary: A month after the destruction of Iron town and the death of the Great Forest Spirit, A stranger is found. Who is it? And what do they have to do with Ashitaka? DISCONTINUED/ON INDEFINITE HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Monoke; Hayao Miazaki and Studio Ghibli own it_

_So, this is my first Princess Monoke fanfic, so please r&r and tell me what you think!_

A Shadow on the Horizon

It had been a month since the destruction of Iron -Town and the death of the Great Forest Spirit. Reconstruction of Iron-Town was well underway, and it was progressing far faster than expected, though several months were still need before it was complete. This was mainly due to the presence and help of Ashitaka, the young warrior that had come to the town not to long before. Even though his curse had been lifted, he still retained part of his demon-strength, and so he stayed, true to his word, to help rebuild. Also with the help of Ashitaka, Iron-Town no longer collected and refined Iron. They had converted to more environmentally conscious work, such as farming and fishing.

This particular day, Ashitaka was on guard duty. Though Iron-Town no longer needed to fear to Gods, as a truce had been made, samurai and Demons were still a threat.

~ASHITAKA'S POV~

I stared into the forest, deep in thought._ I wonder where San is, and what she is doing? I'll have to visit her again soon. _He was so deeply engrossed in thought that he failed to notice a lone figure make it's way out of the forest.

Another of the guards ran up to him. "Young Master, who is that coming out of the forest?" He asked. I snapped out of it. Turning toward where the man was pointing, I squinted my eyes against the bright sun, trying to make out the figure.

"I don't know… Gonza!" I called, making my way down out of the watchtower.

"What?" Gonza replied irritably.

"Open the gate. I am going to go see who approaches. I cannot make them out from this distance." I responded. I gave a short whistle, and Yakuul trotted towards me from the direction of the stables. Soon we was galloping toward the figure. _Who could it be?_

~SAN'S POV~

It was a beautiful day. Kenta, Juan and I were out hunting near the outskirts of the forest, close to Iron-town. I think they suspected the real reason for hunting out this way; the possibility of encountering Ashitaka. Whenever he is away, I find myself more irritable and short-tempered. And that fact usually make me even _more_ irritated, and so I usually end up taking it out on my brothers. I would feel bad, but all I have to do is remember all the times they have teased me and I don't feel bad anymore.

Suddenly, Kenta, whom I am riding, halted. "Do you smell that?" He asked Juan and I. I sniffed the air warily. A sharp scent soon hit my nostrils. I curled my lip, half in disgust, half in worry.

"Blood" I replied.

Juan nodded in agreement. "Lots of it, and nearby." He stated. The three of us stealthily crept towards the source. As we got closer, I could _feel_ the waves of agony rolling off whatever was ahead of us. Whatever it was, it was in a lot of pain.

We soon were able to spot to origin of the blood. A human was making it's way out of the forest. It seemed to be limping heavily, and we could all see the trail of blood it was leaving. We made our way cautiously closer. I suddenly noticed a rider making his way towards us; a rider on a red elk. _Ashitaka._

~UNKNOWN POV~

Pain. That is all I can feel. Emerging from the forest, I relished the feeling of the sun on my face. In that distance I spotted a town. _Maybe I can make it there… maybe there's still time.. _No. It was a useless hope. I knew I could never make it there, and even if I did, they couldn't save me. I only barely felt myself collapse, sinking onto my knees. _So this is how it all ends?… _As my vision started to fade I saw a rider approaching me. _Too late…_ I thought ruefully. I wasn't even aware as hands tenderly turned me onto my back. _That's interesting, when did I end up on my stomach in the first place? Oh well. __Is someone talking to me? I can't hear them. I can barely see. I'm sorry. Goodbye._ And with that thought, my world faded completely to black.

~GENERAL POV~

As Ashitaka neared the strange figure, he saw San and her brothers emerge from the forest. Waving them over, the dismounted and walked to the person. He had watched them collapse as he neared, and they were now laying on their front, a pool of blood beginning to form around the body. He knelt by the stranger and tenderly turned them over. They were wearing a set of clothes very similar to his own, except in shades of green and black. A black mask was covering the lower half of the face, and a sword, also very similar to his own hung on the left hip. _A warrior…_ he realized. He looked up as he heard footsteps. San knelt beside him. Turning back, he carefully remove the mask, curious. They both gasped as they viewed the face. Or, rather, _her_ face.

"She doesn't look as though she could be any older than sixteen years old." Ashitaka said. San decided to examine the source of the blood; a gunshot wound to the right shoulder. "It looks like the bullet went right through her shoulder." San told Ashitaka. He placed his ear against her chest. _There…_ A faint beating. She was still alive. Barely. He looked at her face. For some reason, he felt like he should know her. He shook the feeling. But as he watched her, fighting for her life as she slowly bled to death, he came to a decision.

"San, I need you and your brothers to help me bring her to pool of the forest spirit." He said urgently. He knew that even though the Great Forest Spirit's physical body was killed, he still resided in everything, and the sacred pool possessed incredible healing powers.

"What? No!" San took a step back from him. "We don't even know who she is!" She argued vehemently.

"I know, but I'm not going to just sit here and watch her die without trying to help!" Ashitaka countered. "And…" He paused. "I feel like… I should know her… like we've met before." He said quietly. San stared at him. Finally, she came to a decision. Sighing ,she slipped her arms under the girl's legs. "Help me get her onto Kenta. I will ride him and you can ride Juan. They will be faster than Yakuul." She said.

Ashitaka gave her a look of gratitude, then grabbed her upper body and lifted her onto Kenta before turning to Yakuul. "Wait here, I'll be back for you" He said. He climbed onto Juan. He had barely sat down when the wolves took off at top speed. They knew the urgency. They could feel the girl's life slipping away by the minute.

They raced through the forest, soon coming to the edge of the pool. Ashitaka and San carefully slipped the girl off Kenta and waded through the pool. Once they reached the island, they rested he head and neck on the island, leaving the rest of her body in the water. They carefully stepped off the island. Standing hip-deep in the water, they bowed their heads and prayed. _Please, heal her Great Spirit. She is so young, and I wish to know why she seems so familiar._ Ashitaka prayed. Opening his eyes, he stared in wonder at what he saw. Her body started to glow with a faint blue light, ruffling the surface of the water, and as he watch, the cloud of blood flowing from her shoulder slowed, then ceased altogether. Color began to return to her face, and soon had filled her face with life. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the blue glow faded away, and the water was still once more.

Ashitaka exchanged glances with San, then they made there way once more to the island. As they crouched over her, her eyes slowly began to open. Ashitaka gazed at them; They were a startling bright aqua color. He felt as though he was drowning in the bottomless depths of a sparkling sea. He smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, you will be alright"

Suddenly, those eyes gained a sharpness, and her look became one of disbelief.

"Ashitaka?"

_Yay! First chapter done! BTW, Kenta is the elder one, and Juan is the younger one._

_Please R&R, I really want to know how I did!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Yay, Chapter 2! Please R&R!_

"_Ashitaka?"_

~ASHITAKA'S POV~

I looked at San, wide-eyed. How did this stranger know my name? Turning back, I saw her look of confusion turn to one of relief and happiness. At least, as happy as she could be since she was so weak, and probably still in pain.

"It _is_ you!" She said. She tried to sit up, but fell back down with a grimace, breathing hard.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" I asked her. Her painful smile disappeared, replaced with a look of hurt.

"You mean… you don't remember me?" She asked quietly. I shook my head. She sighed. "I guess I should have figured. It's been a while."

"Please, tell me you name." I said to her.

"No." She replied, rather forcefully. I could tell it pained her to say this. "If I ever meant _anything_ to you, you would remember me on your own. Maybe it's better this way."

I frowned. _Who is this girl? Have we really met before?_ San's voice broke into my thoughts. "We should take her back to the other shore. It is not good to linger too long on this island." She said. I nodded, and we both took a grip on her. As we were wading through the water, I thought about who this girl could possibly be. _She couldn't be someone from Iron-Town… I don't remember meeting anyone like her in any _other_ towns. What about… someone from my village? No it couldn't be. _

Suddenly, a thought struck me. _Could it…? No… But, still… _They reached the other shore, and San and I carefully laid her on the grass. I turned to look at her, taking in every detail. Pitch black hair, reaching her mid-back. Bright Aqua Eyes. My eyes traveled over her face, noticing nothing… _Wait! _There it was; a thin scar running down the length of the left side of her jaw. _How did I miss it?_

"Saki?" I asked. Her face broke out again into a smile.

"You do remember me!" She said. I nodded slowly, still confused. "But… I don't understand. I thought you were dead?"

~SAKI'S POV~

_He remembered me! Maybe I really meant something to him after all._

"I thought you were dead?"

I sighed. "That's kind of a long story, but I guess I've got nothing else to do right now." I said reluctantly. I would've liked nothing better then to be sleeping, I was _exhausted, _but Ashitaka deserved and answer.

"That fa-" I was interrupted when the other girl, San, burst out, "Who _is_ this girl, Ashitaka? How does she know you, and how do you know her?" She stood there, arms crossed, foot tapping the ground impatiently, glaring at Ashitaka.

Ashitaka looked up, startled. Apparently, he had forgotten she was there. I gave him a sympathetic glance. San seemed _pretty_ mad. Ashitaka pulled her aside to talk privately. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear what they were saying. Only snitches of the conversation. "Saki… My village… Explain…Later…" I grumbled and shifted my body slightly, annoyed. When they came back, Ashitaka said to me, "Please, continue Saki."

I glared at him. "As I was saying, that fateful day was one of the worst storms _anyone_ could remember. I had snuck out to explore the stream near our village when it hit. The winds were so strong that they blew me right into the stream. I struggled for a minute or two, but then I hit my head on a rock, and knew no more." I said. I could tell that I already had both of them enthralled. Smiling to myself, I continued.

"When I woke, I had no idea where I was. I was lying on the bank, completely soaked. I couldn't recognize anything around me, and the only sound I heard as the birds' songs. I checked myself over than began to walk. I didn't know where I was walking to, or where I was walking from, but I knew that I would eventually find my way."

"After two days, I had still not come across civilization. But to me, that didn't mean anything. I found more than enough food, mostly roots and berries along my way, along with frequent clean sources of water. On the fifth day, I heard a noise in some bushes nearby. When I got closer, I found a young red elk caught by some sort of trap. After freeing her, I learned her name was Eilaa. I asked her to stay with me, and she agreed. We were inseparable. I managed to carve a bow and some arrows, and made stone arrowheads just like the ones I remembered from the village. I decided I wanted to do something good with my life. I took to traveling the lands, helping all in need. I would never ask for anything in return, though some insisted. That is how I gained my sword, my dagger and my clothing. And so, many years passed."

I paused, gathering myself for what I was going to say next. "Not terrible long ago, I came across a village. I was riding Eilaa at the time, and we were staring down at the village. It seemed peaceful, until an awful stench hit me. The smell of death. Suddenly, out of the forest near me burst a creature… A demon." Taking a deep breath, I continued.

"It looked like a shapeless mass of tentacles, spreading death to whatever it touched. It apparently didn't see me, and headed straight for the village. Even though I knew the danger, I urged Eilaa towards it. I couldn't let it destroy that village. I rode as near as I dared, and called to the demon. I beseeched it to leave, and leave the village in peace, but it just ignored me. Then, in front of us, I saw a young woman. And in her arms was a small infant. The demon noticed her too, and changed course, aiming for her."

Again, I paused. "I couldn't sit by and watch it kill an innocent mother and child. I cocked and arrow, and let it fly. I hit the demon in it's side, not seriously hurting it, but distracting it from it's intended target. Suddenly, a group of tentacles flew towards me. I only managed to avoid them by rolling off Eilaa. Unfortunately, I lost my bow and arrows in the fall, and in front of me was one very angry demon. I pulled out my sword and took a guard stance in front of the mother. The tentacles lifted off the creature, momentarily enabling me to see what it had once been."

"It had once been an Ape God, and as I watched, the tentacles settle back down, and it charged. I risked a glance behind me, I saw the mother escaping, and I knew what to do. As it neared, I sidestepped the creature, and stabbed my blade into it's neck. It's dieing words were of hatred, and still I mourned for the demon, once a God. The villagers came towards us, and saw that I had slain the creature. They thanked me, and offered their undying gratitude. But…"

I swallowed, then stared directly at Ashitaka. "But my act of good had come at a price. When I stabbed the Demon. It…" I faltered. I searched for the words, but finally decided maybe it was best to show them. Slowly, I removed the glove* from my hand. Once it was uncovered, they both gasped in shock and horror. From there, on my right arm, was the mark of the demon.

I was cursed.

_Chapter Two, complete. YAY! I spelling and grammar checked it, but please let me know if you notice or don't understand _anything_ in _any_ of the chapters._

_*Her gloves are like Ashitaka's, just matching the rest of her outfit (in shades of green)._


	3. Author's Note

Authors' Note

I am so truly sorry, but this story is discontinued/on an indefinite hiatus. I got really busy at some point and never got around to writing more, and now I have no inspiration for it. I shall leave the story up for now, though I may decide to take it down later. The only way I would finish this is if I regain my inspiration, which I don't see happening anytime soon. I most likely will post other written works on FF, things I have inspiration for, but please don't get mad at me for abandoning this fic. Again, I am truly sorry. :)

Wishing you all the best,

Ariadne915


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